Seat belt retractor

Abstract

To provide a seatbelt retractor in which wiring of lead wires in a cover is not required. Instead, a circuit board and the like can be positioned accurately, and the circuit board is sufficiently protected during the mounting of mechanical components. A circuit board is anchored to a groove of an inner cover mounted on a retainer so that the inner cover covers the circuit board at the periphery of the inner cover with rotation axles and pivot mating with mating holes, respectively, at ends thereof.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A seatbelt retractor comprising: 
       a spool for spooling a webbing;  
       a motor for driving the spool to rotate in a direction to spool the webbing;  
       a power transmission structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the motor to the spool;  
       a circuit board provided with a circuit for controlling the rotation of the motor and connectors for feeding current;  
       a rotational direction determining unit for determining the rotational direction of the spool; and  
       a retainer for mounting the motor, the power transmission structure, the circuit board, and the rotational direction determining unit on a surface thereof; and,  
       an outer cover mounted on the retainer to cover the surface of the retainer including the power transmission structure, the circuit board, and the rotational direction determining unit; and  
       wherein the rotational direction determining unit comprises a limit switch mounted on the circuit board via a resilient member.  
     
     
       2. The seatbelt retractor of  claim 1 , further comprising an inner cover for covering the circuit board and wherein the outer cover covers the inner cover. 
     
     
       3. The seatbelt retractor of  claim 2 , wherein the connectors extend from an edge of the circuit board, pass through connector-passing openings formed in the inner cover, and extend toward the outside of the inner cover. 
     
     
       4. The seatbelt retractor of  claim 1 , wherein the connectors extend from an edge of the circuit board, pass through connector-passing openings formed in the inner cover, and extend toward the outside of the inner cover. 
     
     
       5. A passenger-protecting apparatus comprising: 
       a spool for spooling a webbing;  
       a motor for driving the spool to rotate in a direction to spool the webbing;  
       a power transmission structure for transmitting the rotational driving force of the motor to the spool;  
       a circuit board provided with a circuit for controlling the rotation of the motor and connectors for feeding current;  
       a rotational direction determining unit for determining the rotational direction of the spool; and  
       a retainer for mounting the motor, the power transmission structure, the circuit board, and the rotational direction determining unit on a surface thereof;  
       an outer cover mounted on the retainer to cover the surface of the retainer including the power transmission structure, the circuit board, and the rotational direction determining unit; and,  
       an inner cover for covering the circuit board and wherein the outer cover covers the inner cover.  
     
     
       6. The passenger protecting apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the circuit board is anchored to a groove formed in the inner cover. 
     
     
       7. The passenger-protecting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the connectors extend from an edge of the circuit board, pass through connector-passing openings formed in the inner cover, and extend toward the outside of the inner cover. 
     
     
       8. The passenger protecting apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the rotational direction determining unit comprises a limit switch mounted on the circuit board via a resilient member. 
     
     
       9. The passenger protecting apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the circuit board is clamped by the retainer and the inner cover. 
     
     
       10. The passenger-protecting apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the connectors extend from an edge of the circuit board, pass through connector-passing openings formed in the inner cover, and extend toward the outside of the inner cover. 
     
     
       11. The passenger protecting apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the rotational direction determining unit comprises a limit switch the circuit board via a resilient member.